The Opposition Congress party on Thursday demanded that the chief minister Neiphiu Rio remove school education minister Nyeiwang Konyak for his alleged corrupt activities in the school education department. Taking part in the discussion on matter of urgent public importance for short duration under Rule 50 pertaining to Misusing and Mismanagement of Grant –In Aid provided towards school infrastructure development under school education, leader of opposition Tokheho Yepthomi said that there were many irregularities and corruption taking place in the school education department in which the minister was allegedly involved. Tokheho alleged that the minister was taking a share of 10 % and director- 4 % and that Rs.1, 34, 13,000 was missing from the department under the Grant –In Aid provided to the schools infrastructure development under school education. He pointed out that the Rule of Executives did not permit a minister to handle money. He lamented that a day light robbery was taking place in the department. Stating there were “Jonas” (Biblical Jona) in the chief minister’s ship, Tokheho urged the CM to clean and remove the Jonas in his ship. “We cannot allow the school education department to function like this as it concerns the feeling of future and deal with future generation,” he stated.The leader of opposition demanded that the CM take action against the school education minister and also look into the irregularities taking place and corrective measures be taken. He said the school education minister to “accept more responsibility.” Congress MLA T. Sentichuba said the CM should take action and remove the school education minister in the larger interest of the people. Congress MLA Kheto alleged that the school education minister has thoroughly misused the funds by attending functions and felt that naked corruption was taking place. Kheto also demanded that the CM relinquish him and put behind bars. Another Congress MLA H Chuba Chang said the school education was not “income generating department” but should mould generation and not destroy the society. In his reply school education minister Nyeiwang Konyak said that there were lots of mistake and error in the school department and assured that the department procedural lapse would be ratified so that no lapse would occur in the future.Intervening into the matter, chief minister Neiphiu Rio strongly defended the school education minister and rejected the opposition Congress charges. Rio said that Nyeiwang was one of the senior members of the house and qualified to hold department. The chief minister also said that the government was trying to streamline the department and revealed that there were 200 courts cases in the department and asked as to who created the mess. He disclosed that 84 teachers have been terminated and 324 more were in process to be terminated, who appeared to be in the list of bogus and ghost teachers and who did not appear when the department called for verification. He also said that re-structuring of the department was going on and created the post of one principal director, 2 directors and 4 additional directors and assured that it was serious and committed for welfare of the children and students in the state. Earlier, raising the supplementary question Congress MLA Tokheho Yepthomi said that the Congress would bring the list of proxy teachers in the school. He said that there were many proxy teachers in GMS and GPS, though there might not be in GHS. Further, he demanded that there be transparency and clarity in the functioning of the department. The school education minister, in his written reply said there was “No’ proxy teachers in the school. Intervening in the matter, chief minister said the government was serious on education and cannot compromise education and informed that the VECs were also looking after communitisation. He assured that the government would not spare but take action against the defaulters if genuine cases were brought out.